Competition Commission COMCO

What Competition Commission COMCO does

The Competition Commission COMCO (Wettbewerbskommission, WEKO) is Switzerland's independent federal competition authority, headquartered in Bern and operating since 1996 with a staff of 29. Its statutory mandate, derived from the Swiss Cartel Act (Kartellgesetz) and the Internal Market Act (Binnenmarktgesetz), encompasses four core functions: combating harmful cartels, supervising abuse of dominance by market-leading firms, conducting merger control, and preventing state-imposed restrictions on competition and inter-cantonal economic traffic.

COMCO delivers no commercial products or services. Its "outputs" are regulatory in nature: investigations resulting in rulings or final reports (for example, the 2024 ruling in the Baustoffe und Deponien Bern case and the 2025 final report on NOVA terms of use and the public-transport commission model), and merger control opinions (such as the October 2025 Stellungnahme on the Universitätsspital Basel / St. Claraspital merger). It publishes procedural guidance through official notification forms (Meldeformulare), information sheets (Merkblätter), and announcements or explanations (Bekanntmachungen/Erläuterungen), all delivered via the weko.admin.ch portal. The organization maintains no proprietary technology platform beyond administrative case management and decision documentation systems.

As a federal authority, COMCO is funded through the Swiss federal budget rather than fees or commercial revenue. It operates under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs (WBF), has no parent company or subsidiaries, and is registered under UID CHE-383.713.530 with service-unit number 727. Its "customers" in the regulatory sense are all Swiss enterprises potentially subject to competition law, with no segment concentration. The Commission's primary distribution channel is its official website, supplemented by a LinkedIn presence; it conducts no commercial go-to-market motion.

Name

Competition Commission COMCO

Legal name

Wettbewerbskommission

Website

https://weko.admin.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Competition Commission COMCO (WEKO) is Switzerland's independent federal competition authority, headquartered in Bern, enforcing the Cartel Act and Internal Market Act by investigating cartels, reviewing mergers, and supervising abuse of dominance across the Swiss economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Competition Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition/Antitrust & Market Conduct Regulators (BPAIAOAD)

Keywords

• Competition law enforcement
• Merger control review
• Antitrust regulation
• Cartel investigation
• Market abuse oversight

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Competition Commission COMCO (Wettbewerbskommission/WEKO) is Switzerland's independent federal authority that enforces competition law under the Swiss Cartel Act (Kartellgesetz) and Internal Market Act (Binnenmarktgesetz). Its core activities include combating harmful cartels, supervising abuse of dominance by market-leading companies, conducting merger control review, and preventing state restrictions on competition and inter-cantonal economic traffic. The organization provides notification forms, information sheets, and publishes official decisions and rulings on its website.

Product overview

The Competition Commission COMCO (Wettbewerbskommission/WEKO) operates as a unified regulatory portal offering informational and procedural services for Swiss competition law enforcement. The website functions as the primary digital interface providing access to official forms (Meldeformulare), information sheets (Merkblätter), and regulatory announcements (Bekanntmachungen). No distinct commercial product lines exist; the organization provides regulatory guidance and administrative services through PDF-based documentation and forms for merger control, cartel enforcement, and market abuse supervision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WEKO/COMCO Official Website (Wettbewerbskommission Website) Official digital portal of the Swiss Competition Commission providing regulatory information, decision publications, notification forms, and procedural guidance for competition law enforcement. Aimed at Swiss businesses and legal practitioners subject to competition law.
• Meldeformulare (Notification Forms) Official forms for merger notifications, objection procedures, and self-reporting (bonus regulation) related to Swiss competition law compliance. Used by Swiss businesses and legal counsel filing merger notifications, objections, or leniency applications.
• Merkblätter (Information Sheets) Guides explaining competition rules, preliminary clarification procedures, investigation processes, decision processes, and amicable settlements. Targeted at businesses and legal practitioners navigating Swiss competition law procedures.
• Bekanntmachungen/Erläuterungen (Announcements/Explanations) Official announcements including the vertical agreements notice, explanations on motor vehicle regulations, and sanction regulations. Aimed at businesses, legal practitioners, and the public requiring authoritative regulatory interpretation.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Japan Fair Trade Commission: Japan's national competition authority. Comparable to WEKO in enforcing antitrust and merger control under a civil-law tradition, and a useful benchmark for international cooperation on cross-border matters.
• Autorité de la concurrence (France): France's national competition authority handling antitrust, merger control, and consumer protection. Comparable to WEKO in mandate and continental European legal framework, with shared Francophone regulatory culture relevant to Swiss Romandie.
• Competition Bureau Canada: Canada's national competition law enforcement agency. Comparable to WEKO in mandate over criminal cartels, merger review, and abuse of dominance, often cited in comparative competition policy analysis.
• Bundeskartellamt (Germany): Germany's federal competition authority enforcing cartels, merger control, and abuse of dominance under the GWB. Closest functional peer to WEKO given parallel statutory mandate, federal structure, and proximity to the Swiss market.
• Competition and Markets Authority (UK): UK's primary competition and consumer protection authority. Comparable to WEKO as a national enforcement body with concurrent jurisdiction over mergers, cartels, and market investigations, and a comparable approach to digital markets.
• Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (Italy): Italy's national competition authority. Comparable to WEKO in statutory mandate (cartels, abuse of dominance, merger control) and in operating in a multi-jurisdictional European enforcement context relevant to Swiss cross-border cases.
• Authority for Consumers and Markets (Netherlands): Dutch competition and consumer protection authority. Comparable to WEKO in mandate over cartels, mergers, and abuse of dominance, and known for active digital-markets enforcement relevant to Swiss benchmarking.
• Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde (Austria): Austria's federal competition authority. Direct functional peer to WEKO given similar statutory mandate, federal structure, and close economic ties with Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• Federal Trade Commission (US): US federal agency with antitrust and consumer protection jurisdiction. A broader incumbent with overlapping competition-law mandate; relevant benchmark for WEKO's approach to digital markets and merger review.
• European Commission – DG COMP: The EU's competition enforcement arm covering antitrust, mergers, and state aid across EU member states. Comparable to WEKO as the supranational counterpart for competition policy, with overlapping mandate over Swiss-facing cases through the EU-Switzerland agreement.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wettbewerbskommission-weko

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Competition Commission COMCO